What Gods Leave
by affTwill
Summary: After the Rising, a once feral Zoroark tribe will attempt to establish themselves as a rival to the dominant human civilization.
1. Traitor

A/N: Rated M for violence and adult themes (nothing explicit). Feedback is always welcome. Enjoy!

* * *

Direct sunlight didn't make it through the thick forest canopy, hiding them all from the sky above. Large, rough-barked monoliths supported the sprawling green cover. The forest made hiding easy. An entire pack could be waiting to strike.

The female Zoroark's fur bristled. "After everything your clan has done for you, you betray us like this? Your family? Those who considered you a friend?"

It took every ounce of will he had not to look away from those cold, azure eyes. With the two Zoroark at his side, the opposing three wouldn't attack. Probably.

The male at the center spat. "The elders didn't bother to waste their time with you. You've been exiled and branded a threat to the clan." He motioned for the others to fall back. "And your name has been taken. You new name is Traitor, not that someone like you will heed the elders anyway." With that, the three retreated.

_Traitor._ He couldn't watch his three friends stalk off into the woods, the foliage soon hiding them from sight. As a threat to the clan, they would kill him if they ever found him in clan territory again. All four of them had been friends.

"Turn and run you blue-eyed cowards!" Ember, the Zoroark on his left called out. The taunt went unacknowledged. "No offense meant, but you're not one of them anymore." Crimson highlights covered his slate fur, though whether named for his fur or personality, Traitor didn't know.

"Ember's right," Douse said, placing a large paw on Traitor's shoulder. "You're not part of their clan anymore. They can't take your name."

Traitor interrupted quietly. "It's just a name. You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up with you and the rest of the pack."

"Nope." Ember grabbed him by the arm and thrust him in the direction of the pack. "We're not leaving you out here alone for those three cowards to find."

"I don't think they'd come after me-"

"And, you're not going to sulk around. This is our last night before the clan gathers. You should be with us."

Traitor grunted but let himself be led. "Thanks for coming out here with me."

Ember gave him a playful shove forward. "Would have done it for anyone."

As the three of them made their way back towards the rest of the pack, Traitor receded deep into thought. He remembered things from before the change: hunting, traveling, surviving. A waste, really. His mind never considered anything beyond the need to eat, sleep and mate. How had he never considered more, real solutions to some of the problems his pack faced? And what did the humans have? What could they posses that fueled a need to seek them out?

Ember broke the silence. "So how far do you think they are? I hear the humans make giant trees to live in."

Douse chuckled. "That's stupid. Giant trees? And have you ever even seen a human?"

"No," Ember admitted, "but Haste says he has."

"Yeah, and did you see his illusion of a human?" Douse laughed. "How about you, uh, Traitor, ever seen a human?"

Traitor shook his head. "No one in my old pack had."

Ember turned and walked backwards so he could face the other two. "What? Then how can they all be so against going to find out more about them?"

Traitor shrugged halfheartedly, not quite meeting the others' eyes. "Don't you get a weird feeling when you really think about them, like an instinctual feeling to stay away? Some in my old pack said humans can force a pokemon to follow their every command." Fallen leaves shuffled quietly underfoot, the recent rains dampening even the driest leaves.

Ember's boasting didn't have the same fire as it did before. "Don't tell me you're scared of a human. Nothing hunts a Zoroark."

Obviously Traitor's old pack hadn't been the only ones with this phantom memory. "But, I wouldn't have joined you guys if I thought it were true. Speaking of predators, do you think we'll run into any Lucario?"

Ember waved his paw dismissively. "Even if they crawled out of their caves, we can take 'em."

Douse looked up towards the occasional sliver of sky that peeked through the dense canopy. "You know if we keep up this pace, it will be dark long before we make it back."

"Well then, let get going," and without waiting, Ember turned and dashed off ahead.

Douse shrugged. "We should probably hurry up before he gets himself lost." Despite his large size, Douse moved surprisingly fast.

Traitor nodded with a grin, and the two of them chased after Ember, their large manes billowing pleasantly behind them.

* * *

Despite resting alongside a small stream for a time and enjoying its cool waters, the three returned in good time. The forest darkened beneath its shrouding leaves, but the sun hadn't fallen below the horizon yet.

Traitor slowed. "We're close." The others slowed as well, the three of them panting lightly.

"Of course we are. That's why we've been running," but Ember didn't complain about the change in pace. "We should hurry though. Strike said he'd bring back an entire Zebstrika, and I could eat the whole thing."

Douse snorted. "Where's he gonna find a Zebstrika in the forest?"

"I've been waiting all day. If anyone can find one, it's him." Ember picked back up to a jog.

Douse shook his head, and Traitor grinned. Besides, running all day had made him hungry too, and this would be his first feast with the pack.

As they approached, the sounds of talking and fighting carried through the trees. Not angry fighting, but of Zoroark showing off and enjoying themselves.

A few called out and waved once Traitor and the others entered the clearing, but a majority were too caught up in their revelry to notice. Small fires burned at the edges of the large natural clearing, and towards the middle a variety of pokemon lay dead, most having a good portion of them eaten away to reveal the white bone beneath. At the very center amidst the tall grass lay a massive Zebstrika.

Ember's face lit up, fangs glistening. "Douse, Traitor, I have something to take care of." He made a line straight for the felled beast.

"I don't think I've ever eaten Zebstrika before." With so much food before him, Traitor's stomach growled.

Douse shrugged but his eyes scanned over the food like he expected it to run. "It's food. C'mon."

Traitor and Douse moved about, sampling the take. All fresh kills, and assorted berries, were left in neat arrangements about the kills. His hunger led him to an assortment of prey, including Basculin, a personal favorite, as well as the Zebstrika.

When he finished, Traitor used the juice from an oran berry to help wash the blood from his muzzle. So much food intensified his lethargy, and he looked to relax briefly before rejoining the others. Ember hadn't returned, and Douse spoke with a pair of Zoroark that had motioned him over, leaving Traitor alone.

He gravitated towards one of the fires along the outskirts. Not too close, but enough to feel its raging heat. The vantage also gave him a good view of the other Zoroark. This would have been much easier before the change, the Rising, as some were calling it. Of course, before that, he would never have left his clan. A Zoroark would die for his pack, so what did that make him?

A familiar female voice called out to him. "Thought, what are you doing over here?"

Traitor grimaced at his old name. He hadn't heard Esper approach. "My name is Traitor now."

She frowned. "Don't tell me you're over here brooding about it. A petty move by your old clan, but I'm sure the elders will give you a new one."

"I'm going to keep it," he said, eyes downcast.

"A shame you never grew into it." Esper sighed.

"Funny," he said dryly. The others might not understand, never have been put in his position, but the name meant more than a condemnation by his previous elders.

Instead of a full mane, Esper's flowed down her back in a narrow band that shifted between black and crimson. While not inconsequential, it didn't warrant a binding like most Zoroark tied theirs. It might stand out more than a set of blue eyes – he'd heard some from the river clans had smaller manes – but it didn't detract from lithe body. Despite never having seen her fight, Esper looked dangerous, her body sleek and streamlined, fur glossy and full despite her mane. Illuminated against the small blaze, the firelight didn't reveal even a single hair out of place on her immaculate coat.

"So, who have you met with tonight?" Her voice made him realize he was staring.

Traitor snapped his gaze towards the fire, hoping that some of the answers would be contained in its flames. Every time he spoke with Esper, she either brought up the last thing he wanted to talk about, or made him feel like an idiot. Somehow, the Rising gave her an unrivaled ability with words.

"Well, I was with Ember and Douse, and now you." He could already hear the biting words at how he should have done this or that.

Esper drew his face up with her claws, oddly gentle, until their eyes met. "You are a part of our clan now, and even more-so, our pack. Everyone here trusts you."

"Yeah." He looked into those confident, deep-pink eyes, a color rarely seen in his old clan. Very rare, yet all of the Zoroark here had them.

An almost predatory gleam shone in her eyes. "Some even admire those eyes, despite how we view others with them." Esper grinned and let his chin go. "The others probably offered, but in case they didn't, you're welcome to sleep in my hollow." With that, Esper turned away and walked towards another group of Zoroark in a seemingly good-natured, but intense debate.

Traitor watched her leave. They should have made her pack leader-

Something crashed into him, knocking him clean off his feet and to the ground, his attacker gripping his neck and side. The ground knocked the air from his lungs, but he managed to throw the other Zoroark off himself and roll into a crouch.

Ember landed with an adroit flourish. "Have to react quicker than that."

"I'll keep that in mind next time I'm having a conversation," Traitor muttered, rubbing his throat.

Ember grinned. "We were talking about what our plans were, and I realized you might not know, so I came to drag you over once Esper finished with you."

"Eavesdropping?" but Traitor followed Ember towards the other group.

Ember ignored him. "We were talking about our roles. Having an entire clan in a single hunting ground will be difficult. The humans must do it somehow though, and we figured everyone should do something specific."

Traitor's old clan had also been discussing that issue. "How do you know your role, are the elders giving them? Do you have one yet?"

"Not yet. The elders are taking requests and will make the final decision. Most should get what they want to do, but you have to do something, of course," Ember said.

They joined a group of three other Zoroark, and Ember introduced him. "You guys remember Traitor, right? He's the clan's new member."

"Hello." Traitor closed his eyes and bowed his head briefly – a greeting and show of trust. One gave him an odd look at the mention of his name, but all three returned the gesture.

"Traitor, this is Strike, Haste, and Shadow." Ember motioned to the three others, the five of them standing in a small circle.

Names were an odd thing. Aside from small variation in a Zoroark's mane, very little distinguished them, even between genders. Before the Rising, they identified each other by scent, but that didn't work as well when referring to others. Matching a name to scent and mane coloring made meeting so many new Zoroark a challenge.

Ember continued. "The elders have asked for volunteers to go meet the humans, and I figured you'd be a good candidate. How about it?"

"Me?" Traitor froze. Of all the Zoroark, why him? He just joined the clan, and Ember wanted him to represent them?

"Why not? You managed to talk your way in with us, and you left because the others were running away from any involvement with the humans. You seem like a perfect fit." For once he seemed serious. The others looked thoughtful.

Shadow, the only female among them, threw a playful jab at Ember. "Have you been thinking again?" Where crimson usually dominated a Zoroark's mane, Shadow, just like her sister Shade, had black and charcoal hair flowing down her back.

Ember batted the attack away, ignoring her. "So what do you say?"

"I-" He _did_ want to meet the humans, and he'd make a terrible warrior. "I'll have to think about it. Maybe." The idea sounded interesting, but dangerous. How did you fight a human if they attacked? Or stole your mind?

"Oh c'mon. What else were you planning? And you don't have to worry, you'll have us watching your back." Ember indicated the group of them.

""All of you?" Traitor asked.

"Well, except Strike." Ember indicated the Zoroark with an odd diagonal slash of black through his mane.

"We don't know if humans taste any good yet, so I'll stick to hunting," Strike said.

"It does sound interesting, and I'm not much use in a fight. I'm meeting with the elders tomorrow anyway. I'll talk with them."

"Fine, fine. Take your time, but wait too long, and you might end up being sent to the humans as a gift."

Traitor's eyes widened. "What? They can't do that!"

The others laughed, and Ember patted him on the back. "Let's go check out the illusions. There's a contest to show a human."

The five of them moved towards a large group, Traitor fighting down embarrassment. In the middle, a number of awkward figures shambled about. Strange, fleshy creatures without fur moved on disproportionate arms and legs. Traitor suddenly had second thoughts about meeting on of these humans.

Traitor nudged Ember. "That's not what they actually look like, is it?"

Ember shrugged. "Maybe." And after a brief pause: "I hope not."

He shuddered. Some had strange fur that didn't stand right, and changed color between vibrant blues and greens to garish reds. Others had fur reminiscent of a pokemon's hide.

What if the humans did hunt Zoroark? He didn't know of any clans that went near human lands. Watching the shuffling illusions turned his stomach. He imagined one wearing a skinned Zoroark, blood still dripping down eerily long limbs.

The others laughed as one danced on stiff legs, twisting in a lopsided circle. Probably just another joke. Humans didn't have any powers, so some said, yet they dominated the land, known to those who'd never even seen them. The illusions had to be wrong.

Fatigue gripped Traitor's limbs, and the clearing seemed less crowded than before. Had Esper left already? He didn't see her, but with so many scents mixing in the air, he couldn't be sure.

He drew Ember away from the show for a moment. "I'm going to sleep. It's been a tiring day."

Ember nodded. "And hey, I'm glad you joined us."

Traitor bowed his head. "Me too."

"Just stop being so formal." Ember shoved him. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He found Esper's hollow easily enough, her scent led directly to it. Esper, however, hadn't returned yet.

"I said I'd be here later, or are you just eager?" Esper padded silently along the damp leaves, avoiding anything that would give her away. She moved with the fluid grace of a predator, sleek charcoal fur making it hard even for a Zoroark's sensitive eyes to make out in the night. She smiled, fangs gleaming in the moonlight.

"I'm just tired from-"

"Don't explain yourself." Esper took him by the shoulders and pressed her nose to his – a sign of affection. "You're a part of our clan now. Stop acting like we look down on you. No one cares what color your eyes are."

"They stand out," he whispered.

"And is that such a bad thing?" She tugged gently on his fur, moving towards the small indentation, shored up with leaves for warmth.

For a second time that day, Traitor found himself being led. He lay down first, and a moment later, Esper curled up with him, their bodies pressed close together, large manes spread about them for warmth. Traitor could feel her slow breathing against him.

Esper's face lay close to his, her voice little more than a whisper. "Can I ask you a question?"

Traitor yawned, the pleasant warmth from Esper's body pushing him towards slumber. "Of course."

Esper, never at a loss for words, almost sounded hesitant. "Is it strange that I don't want pups? I remember, before, wanting to find a mate, but now, after everything changed, the world seems to have so much more to it." She shifted nervously. "It's not like I never want pups, but I want to explore what's out there. I want to visit the human clans, see what things are like beyond our little stretch of forest before devoting my time to nursing pups and a mate."

"I-" He hadn't thought about it. With everything else happening, leaving his clan, the in-fighting even before that – he could remember things before too, not too different from Esper's memories. "No, I don't think it's strange." He opened his eyes to see moonlight shining off Esper's magenta iris', watching him as if about to strike.

She grinned. "Well don't talk my ear off."

Traitor nipped playfully at Esper's throat. "Don't tease. Not all of us gained your ability to talk circles around others."

Her eyes widened at first, but Esper bared her fangs in a devious grin. "See, that's more like it."

In a flash, Traitor found himself sprawled on his back, Esper pinning him, her teeth grazing the skin of his neck. One hand held his chest down, the other his mane, in turn keeping his head against the soft forest ground.

Her scent intensified, hazing his mind and overpowering the earthy forest they lay in. "I might turn you into one of us yet." She bit his neck, hard enough to elicit a snarl from Traitor, but she relented, using the hand holding his mane to draw his muzzle towards her. "But you'll always have those beautiful eyes."

Traitor's mind raced, but accomplished very little. While he never counted himself particularly good at fighting, he struck, grabbing her arm and using his shoulder to roll them both.

He held Esper face-down below him, her head twisted to the side and pressed into the soft bedding she'd gathered up, leaving one eye to gaze up at him. Damn her.

He breathed heavily, though not from the effort of one-upping her, of which he didn't think he managed through any skill of his own. "Was using attract necessary? You obviously had my attention." Was she grinning?

The loam muffled her words. "Either way, I get what I want."

"I thought you didn't want pups."

"I'm obviously not in heat." She tested his hold, but Traitor held her firm, and Esper grinned. "Well?"

He couldn't fight the ensnaring scent even had he wanted to, and he most certainly didn't. It permeated his senses, his mind, his body. His thoughts crawled to a halt, stopping on Esper. He leaned down and took the scruff of her neck in his jaws.


	2. The Clan Joins

Traitor woke to Esper idly bathing his neck with her tongue. Judging from the soft green glow above, the sun had risen long ago, but Esper's warm body against his didn't provide much motivation to rise.

"I thought you were going to sleep the entire day." She shifted to lay more atop him, their manes still spread about them.

Traitor tried to blink the sleep from his eyes. "You could have woke me."

She chuckled. "I did."

Esper had shown an odd interest in him since they first met, back at his old clan. She, along with Douse and Ember, came as envoys a few days after the Rising. They wanted all the Zoroark clans to join together. When he'd heard of his own clan's plan to retreat to the mountains, Traitor approached the three.

Esper's piercing gaze never seemed to relax, and those magenta eyes bore down on him. "What are you thinking about?" Her nose hovered a hair above his.

As the subject of her current fascination, he felt the question was more a formality. "Nothing. We're leaving today, aren't we?"

She shook her head and lay back against him. "Yes, the other packs are already ahead of us, but we shouldn't arrive too late." Her claws raked satisfyingly along his ribs.

The desire to flip her over and- Damn vixen. He shook his head slightly – had to keep his guard up. "You said everyone had a role. What's yours?"

Esper smiled knowingly down at him, but before she had a chance to respond, someone approached. They both looked up to see Ember walking towards them.

Ember didn't bother to quiet his movement, and he spoke cheerily. "Morning you two. Esper, if you're done with him, the elders wanted to speak with Traitor before we get moving."

"Well, don't keep them waiting." Esper shifted enough to no longer pin Traitor beneath her, and pushed him upwards.

"But-" It could wait. He brushed a few stray leaves off himself and followed after Ember. "How far away are the other packs?"

"Couple of days, depending on how fast we move. Speaking of, you don't look too excited." Ember eyed him.

Traitor tried to stretch the stiffness from his limbs. "I'll be fine," he said through a yawn.

They walked back towards the clearing where they gathered last night. This time, Zorua darted about the meadow, leaving rustling trails in the tall grass. Traitor only counted a handful. As they approached a group of three older Zoroark, Ember made a hasty departure.

Only one of the elders, Winter, could truly be considered old. Graying fur covered her snout, and a faded but obvious scar ran up her left arm. He'd heard she earned it by stopping a Haxorus from rampaging through her pack's grounds – alone. When a Zoroark grew too old to benefit the pack, they left, to spend their last days alone, rather than burden the rest. Despite her age, Traitor didn't envy anyone at odds with the elder Zoroark.

Winter spoke in a tired but firm voice. "Hello, Traitor. I hope you are finding yourself welcome here." She stood slightly ahead of the other two elders, eyes sharp. Winter obviously held the dominant position of the three.

Traitor bowed his head. "I am. Thank you for everything you've done for me."

Winter nodded in return. "Think nothing of it. I wish we could have spoken longer, but we have been busy. Hopefully we will speak further after the clan unites."

While the other two elders didn't speak, he felt their eyes on him, watching for even the slightest twitch of the nose. He felt judged.

"That would be good," he mumbled, shifting before them. Only Esper had ever looked at him like that, and not with half the intensity these three could muster.

Winter continued, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "The real reason we wanted to speak was because we heard you wished to search out the humans. That would be a great benefit to our clan. Despite our difference in opinion with the other clans, few are eager to be the first."

Traitor mentally sighed but tried to hide any outward reaction. Ember told them? "I uh, well yes, I was considering it." He did owe his new clan.

"Good. You will be serving your clan well. One of us will speak with you further once we join the other packs. Now, we'll be leaving soon. You should get ready." Winter's eyes glittered, predatory despite their age. The dismissal was clear.

"Yes, thank you." Traitor bowed his head once more and retreated. He meandered back towards Esper's hollow. The clans needed someone to reach out to the humans, and he had intended to offer himself for the task, but being more or less ordered to, did feel stifling – a strange thought. It didn't matter. He joined the clan, and he'd do whatever the clan needed to survive.

But by the time he returned, Esper had already gone. Grumbling, he made his way back towards the remaining food. None of the kills could be brought with them – the added weight would slow them too much. Besides, as long as they remained on the move, game would be plentiful.

After eating as much as he dared before a long trip, Traitor found a tree to sit against, his mane cushioning him against the rough bark. While a few of the other Zoroark flashed a smile at him, none treated him any different than his old pack would have. None approached, but as a newcomer, he should make the first move.

Something stopped him though. As he watched the others mill about in determined chaos, he couldn't help but feel lost. The last time his clan's packs had joined had been before his birth. Now, he knew almost nobody, and would be thrust into a group of almost a hundred other Zoroark. And things no longer made sense.

Ember called out from a short distance away. "Hey! If I have to drag you there I'm not going to be happy. We're leaving."

Without him realizing it, the others had gathered, Winter at their front. The eldest Zoroark leading a pack meant one thing – if you couldn't keep up, you didn't deserve to run with the pack.

The elder's eyes scanned the group. "Today we begin our journey to unite the clans, and in time, all Zoroark. We will build a clan to rival the humans themselves, and ensure we remain known as the predators we are!"

A guttural cheer erupted from the gathered Zoroark, a mass of dark fur and crimson slashes like spilled blood. Traitor stood and cheered with them. The small, extrinsic voice in the back of his mind that drove him to seek out the humans cheered the loudest.

"The hunt begins!" Winter turned and dashed off into the forest.

As if one, the rest followed, over thirty Zoroark bounding around trees and foliage, avoiding pits and fallen trunks with predatory grace. They raced east towards an unknown destination.

Ember sought out other friends to run alongside, but none of them spoke. The first day would run them ragged, and no one wanted to waste the energy.

Trees, berry shrubs, streams, prey trails – under any other circumstances, the pack would have stopped. Food always took priority during travel. What other reason did a pokemon have for changing hunting grounds?

Traitor followed those ahead. Sweat dampened his fur, and a light froth built around his muzzle. Occasionally they stopped to drink from a stream they passed, but unless Winter halted them, they ran, chests heaving for a gasp of cool spring air.

They moved like a herd of whispers across the lush land. Sunlight faded, but to a Zoroark's sensitive eyes, dusk didn't slow their advance. Not until Winter called for a stop, the pack slowing among a dense stand of wide-trunked trees, did the weary pokemon relax.

"Rest. We begin again early tomorrow."

Traitor didn't even bother to look up at the elder Zoroark's words. As soon as they slowed, he found a tree to collapse against and slumped to the ground. In truth, he could have probably continued on for hours, but his sore muscles protested against the exertion. Sweat tickled his hide, but he didn't care, slowly panting to ease his burning lungs and allow the gentle, numbing warmth to spread throughout his body.

Esper stepped from the shadows, composed if not a bit breathless. Her narrow mane swayed across her back. "I hope you aren't tired." She approached and sat atop him, straddling his hips.

"Did you talk someone into carrying you?" He let his tongue loll from his mouth, too tired to match wits with Esper.

She chuckled. "Maybe," and brought her muzzle close to his ear. "You know how persuasive I can be." Despite the run, her fur felt soft and fresh against him. She rested her chin in the crook of his neck, and her body melted against him.

Traitor waited, but Esper remained limp against him. After a few seconds, her breathing slowed – asleep.

"Rest easy," he whispered, and with a smile, closed his eyes.

* * *

Esper had already gone when Traitor woke. She always seemed to have somewhere to be – an annoying habit at times. He still hadn't managed to ask what role she chose. Her ability to bully others into doing what she wanted would be wasted on clearing brush.

With a yawn and a stretch, he rose, looking above to judge the time through the heavy canopy. It couldn't be too late, the dim light above still tinged the leaves a soft orange. They wouldn't eat today.

About half of the other Zoroark moved about, preparing for yet another taxing day of travel. A stream ran not far from where they'd stopped, and Traitor searched it out. Cold, clear water trickled just fast enough to be considered safe to drink from. It tasted fresh.

Another Zoroark joined him, and knelt to drink. "Well. You're our newest brother." A hint of gray at the male's muzzle surprised Traitor.

The words left Traitor's mouth before he thought about them. "You aren't an elder?"

He scowled. "I'm not so old, pup." Indignation melted to mirth, and the Zoroark laughed. "Only a fool would take that position. I didn't want it, and Light did. My name is Rain. You know my son, Ember."

Traitor's eyes widened, and he bowed his head to the elder Zoroark. Whether he gave up the position or not, Rain had still lived a long time. "It's good to meet you."

Rain sighed. "And this is why I came to speak with you." The large Zoroark advanced on Traitor. "Ember sticks up for you, I hope you know, but you have to accept your part in the clan."

Traitor unconsciously stepped back from the looming Zoroark. "I don't understand."

"You," he poked Traitor in the chest for emphasis with a sharp, blood-red claw, "don't think of yourself as one of us. I don't know what you blue-eyes were like in your pack, but we helped you out, like we would any Zoroark. Save formality for the humans. You're our kin now, part of our clan. Act like it."

The tirade took Traitor aback. "I-"

Rain didn't let him speak. "I told you I don't like telling others what to do." He turned to walk away, but continued talking. "Esper might have got her claws on you first, but you caught the eye of a few other vixens as well. Watch yourself, pup."

Traitor gaped at Rain's retreating back. Not much of a discussion. He glanced at his reflection in the shallow stream, blue eyes looking back at him. A torn leaf drifted slowly through his mirrored face. He slashed it with a small pulse of dark energy.

Behind him, the others had all risen, and were gathering to once again head for the other packs. If nothing else, he'd have plenty of time to think.

Ember nudged Traitor in the side, the fiery accents in his coat gleaming beneath the early sun. "Don't mind him. He might pretend to be intimidating, but he wouldn't hurt a Joltik."

Traitor glanced at his friend. "Do you spy on everyone?"

"Just you." He slapped Traitor on the back. "Now come on, we're picking up the pace from yesterday. Hope you slept well." Ember winked, and once more, they ran, ran until the ache became soothing, and day became night.

* * *

It took almost four days, four days with no food besides a few scavenged berries, and little enough water. The vegetation had thinned out since they left. The large, wide-trunked trees gave way to thinner plants with whip-like branches, and the sky remained constantly visible.

A few Zoroark ahead of Traitor stumbled as they crested a low hill, and as the pack slowed, he saw it. Below, a huge gathering of Zoroark waited, black and red more numerous than the low shrubs, some of which were already cleared. Behind the gathered Zoroark, a wide river with steep banks flowed, extending to the horizon in each direction. They cheered.

Zoroark ran down the hill with renewed vigor, and Traitor couldn't help but join in. Sweat matted his fur, and hunger squeezed his stomach, but a wide smile split his muzzle.

The group below responded in turn, letting out a feral cry and rushing the new arrivals. Traitor's pack made it down the hill before the two groups met with a crash. Bodies slammed into one another, and the ensuing tangle of black and red tossed them about. Even at the back of the group, Traitor fought to keep on his feet amidst the swarm of greetings.

A firm grip caught Traitor by his chest tuft, and a wispy looking Zoroark pulled him aside. The Zoroark shouted good-naturedly over the din. "Blue eyes huh? Where'd they pick you up. Last I heard, the other clans fled."

Traitor tried to force his mind, on the brink of delirium from exhaustion, to think of a reply. A second Zoroark, one Traitor had seen before saved him from having to speak. Fog, if he remembered correctly, pounced on the other Zoroark and dragged both of them to the ground. He heard "Brother!" before the pair crashed to the ground.

Already, Zoroark began to disperse from the chaotic meeting. The elders had discreetly broke from the group, and a group of nine Zoroark huddled together, one of the nine so gray they looked half silver, the red in his fur still vibrant. He looked about for any familiar faces, but Esper found him first.

"Here it is. Here's what you joined us for." She moved close, though whether to show affection or to use him to hold herself upright, Traitor couldn't tell.

He grunted. A wide plain stretched beyond the river, filled with grass tall enough to hide a Blitzle. It rippled like a slow-moving pond in the spring breeze. An entire clan, over ninety Zoroark, would start here to rival the humans.

Traitor met her intense gaze. "I'm starving."

"Idiot," she muttered and lightly shoved him towards the river. "Let's find something to eat."

Closer to the river, where the Zoroark had made some progress in clearing the bank, a small area lay filled with a variety of dead pokemon. The scent of fresh blood set his mouth watering, and in that moment, he completely forgot the other Zoroark around him.

Traitor dropped to his knees and sank his teeth into a Sawsbuck's tender flank. He tore off strips of flesh, uncaring of the blood that smeared across his snout. Zoroark could go without food for quite a while, but after such a grueling trip with only vegetation to eat, nothing felt better than a proper meal.

Others from the pack had also set about the laid out kills, and some had already spread out to find someplace to rest. With so many of them there, it seemed impossible to find someplace quiet, but they had all the room they could want. Everything belonged to them.

Finishing up his meal, Traitor stood and found Esper not too far away licking her lips. He approached, but she grabbed him and walked off into the waist-high grasses.

After locating a suitable spot, Esper fell back onto the soft grass, pulling Traitor down with her. Esper set about licking his muzzle clean, and he returned the favor. The two of them basked in each other's warmth, letting the first meal in days settle. Esper lay atop his chest.

"Shouldn't we be with the others?" Traitor asked, still in a haze of exhaustion and contentedness.

She spoke into his chest tuft. "Not today. Tomorrow is for greetings. Today is for bloodkin to reunite. We rest, well-" Her mane spilled across her back and onto the ground around them. It looked strangely exotic.

He ran his claws through the long strands of sleek red and black fur. "I have a question," he asked.

"Mmm?"

"I've been meaning to ask, but you've been awfully hard to get a hold of the past few days. What did you choose as your role?" Maybe not exactly the right time to ask, but for all he knew, she'd disappear again before he got another chance to ask. This way, she had nowhere to run.

The claws she'd been running along his sides stopped dead. "I really don't think it matters. You'll be away most of the time anyway."

"Oh come on. It seems like most of the Zoroark got to choose what they wanted to do. It says a lot about them." He had been somewhat forced into his choice, but he would have made it himself – eventually. Never had he seen Esper on the defensive, and for a moment, he thought she'd refuse to tell him.

Esper glanced away. "I'll be looking after the young."

Traitor blinked, and then let his head fall back with a laugh. "You? I thought you didn't even want-" A low, dangerous growl cut him off.

Esper grabbed his snout in a rough grip. "Be very careful, pup."

An intense glare pinned him in submission. Not angry, but fierce, and an emotion he couldn't quite place blazed behind her pink irises. He tested her grip, but it only tightened, forcing his jaws shut, her own face so close he could feel her hot breath against his nose.

"They're sending you off soon, the day after tomorrow. I have no claim on you; you can do whatever you want. I'd like to think you won't let every star-eyed vixen you find drag you off, because you aren't as dumb as you act. Pup." She released the grip on his muzzle, and sat up, still pinning him to the ground, tall grass hiding them from sight.

Without missing a beat, she continued. "So make good use of your time among the humans. You could end up leading this clan someday, if you wanted. Do what you must, and by blood or not, you're one of the most important members of this clan. Don't disappoint me."

Not that it had been an issue before the Rising, but no other Zoroark made less sense than the one sitting atop him. He grinned. "I won't. Keep an eye on the little ones for me."

Esper leaned in, a dangerous gleam in her eye, and the least amused smile he'd ever seen, fangs gleaming inches from his face. The scent of blood still hung heavy on her breath. "Wrong answer."


	3. Slip of the Tongue

Claude looked across the sprawling fields, his wide hat offering fair protection against the relentless sun overhead. The heat only worsened as summer approached, and it already looked to be a warm year. Fields of berries, wheat, vegetables, anything they could convince to grow sprouted across to the horizon, broken up by large unpainted barns.

While the job didn't pay well, his only responsibilities involved looking after the dozens of pokemon that worked the fields. He found that better than his paltry wage. Only the rich or lucky owned a pokemon of their own, but he found the next best thing. On Sundays, when let out for exercise, some of the more playful ones even took to following him around.

He leaned back in his chair atop a small observation tower. Well, maybe tower was a bit of a stretch. The rough wooden construction only stood a few feet off the ground, but it let him see over the plants and watch the pokemon working in his area of the fields. Water types misted the plants in a glistening spray, others dug up weeds or cleared debris. What he wouldn't give to own just one of the magnificent creatures.

A man in dusty trousers and a half-laced shirt waved to catch Claude's attention. "Found another one acting up. I left it outside 'C'. Take care of it, will ya?"

_Dammit_. Claude waved to the man. "Yeah." He got a wave in response and the man walked off towards the rawst fields.

Not another. Pokemon never attacked, or really made any kind of fuss for that matter. Now four in almost as many days? No point in trying to put it off. Claude climbed down from his post and headed towards barn C.

Since pokemon could only move so far from their binding shard, barns littered the estate. They added shard-dust to the pokemon's food to weaken their powers as well. Here in the fields, they didn't need to fight, and it gave the farmhands a small measure of safety. Escape was impossible.

Still early in the season, most of the crops barely reached Claude's waist. The pomeg berry stalks he passed by looked frail, but even a hard storm wouldn't damage the growing stalks. A floral sweetness always lingered around the berry crops.

As he approached the barn, he saw the Vaporeon chained by its front paws to a post, forcing it to stand awkwardly on its hind legs, long graceful tail left to kick up small clouds of dust. He recognized her.

"I'm sorry girl. I warned you. I told you the other day that if you kept acting up the others would notice. Nothing I can do for you now." He took the coiled whip from inside the barn door and let it unroll, hefting the rough grip and giving it a few hesitant flicks.

The chained Vaporeon stilled. She looked over her shoulder the best she could at him, large black eyes afraid, and was that – anger?

Claude glanced around. He noticed other nearby pokemon had paused to watch. Not watch, stare. Azumaril, Floatzel, Leavanny – their calculating eyes put him on edge. They wouldn't attack, but...

"Sorry girl. I don't want to do this, you know I don't." He reached out to pat the Vaporeon on the head, but she turned and hissed at him. Brave little thing. "Sorry," he whispered again. He couldn't even remember the last time he had to punish a pokemon. What had gotten into her?

Stalling only made the anticipation worse, and Claude raised the whip. With a snap of his wrist, he brought the heavy braided cord down across Vaporeon's back. The heavy slap of leather on flesh did nothing to dampen Vaporeon's shriek. The cry twisted his stomach but didn't stop him raising the whip again.

Vaporeon barely had time to refill her lungs before the whip sliced another bloody line across her back. She howled again, a piercing, desperate noise. Claude looked down at the pitiful sight, and couldn't bring himself to continue.

He let the whip fall to the ground and gingerly approached the whimpering pokemon. It shied away from him as best it could, attempting a weak hiss. Blood leaked across the pokemon's vibrant blue hide.

"I said you had to settle down and stop causing issues. C'mon, let me get you free of that thing." He reached for the chains binding Vaporeon's paws, but the pokemon attempted to bite his fingers. Claude reeled back.

"Porrrrr!" She put up a fierce act, but her dark eyes wavered, fighting back another whimpering cry.

"I know if hurts, girl. Don't fight now, let me get those chains off you. I'm not gonna hurt you anymore, okay? Be easy." He approached cautiously, and she acquiesced, allowing him to give her a gentle stroke on the head before he took the keys from his belt and undid the chains.

Vaporeon slumped to the ground, her frilled body shaking as thick rivulets of blood dripped to the dusty earth. Claude stroked her head, odd how frail she now looked. He wished he could do more, but with shard dampening her powers, the wounds would take time to heal.

"Here, you're done for the day. Let's get you inside. You can rest while those heal up a bit." He patted the pokemon to get her going, and she rose on unsteady limbs. He led her into the barn and to her stall, the door not quite tall enough to stop a determined pokemon from leaving, but the gems locked above each stall, their binding shard, kept them from wandering far.

Vaporeon slunk into her stall and collapsed as far away from Claude as the small space allowed. He tried to get close to give her another pat, but she swatted him lightly with her tail, and winced at the effort.

Claude retreated to return the whip and let the suffering pokemon rest. If he hated any part of the job, this would be it. He sighed after placing everything back in its spot and unlaced the top few rows of his shirt, opening it for a little relief from the heat. What had gotten into them? Watchful eyes of the other pokemon followed him back towards the barracks.

An older man, Addison, though he went by Ad, greeted him. "Why the long face, kid? Take care of that Vaporeon?" He sat at the rough wooden table, large enough for all twenty of the farmhands to sit around, rare as that was.

Claude ignored him, instead sitting at the far end of the table and reaching for a bit of the hard, crusty bread on the table. He didn't know the story behind the scar running up Ad's forearm, Ad told a different one depending on how much he'd drank, but it might explain his aversion to pokemon. Of course a knife fight wouldn't surprise him; Ad didn't like people much either.

"You know you're the only reason Darren hasn't put that creature down. He knows how much you bellyache about the damn things. You're too soft on 'em, kid. Given the chance, they'd tear your throat out without a thought." The burly man had less than a few years on Claude, but out of the farmhands, he had seniority.

Claude got himself a cup and filled it with stale water from a barrel in the corner. "What did it do?"

Ad set his boots up on a chair and tipped back in his seat. "Bit Ren, damn near took a finger off. Hey now that I think about it, that wasn't the same one that-"

"Different one."

"Yeah," Ad replied slowly. "Well, keep an eye on that one. It's dangerous, should just kill it and be done. Damn shards are too valuable to waste on a pest like that."

Between Ad and the hard bread, Claude lost any hint of an appetite he'd had. They weren't bad people, but most of the other farmhands shared Ad's views. A pokemon could kill a human easy, and a maimed limb meant no work.

"Maybe," Claude muttered noncommittally, hoping to end the conversation.

"Damn truth, kid."

Claude left his untouched meal, instead draining his cup and standing. The others would be coming in to eat as well, and he didn't want to repeat the exchange. "Gotta get back to work."

"You didn't even eat!" Ad protested, but Claude walked past him and out the door.

Sure enough, a small group approached the barracks, and Claude hurried off in the opposite direction to avoid them before doubling back towards his fields. Once atop his observation tower, he reclined in the splintery chair.

Dozens of them scurried about the fields, watering, digging, tending any plants that struggled. They did an incredible job. The Mistral family owned every single one of the pokemon, the shards to bind them a fortune in and of themselves. While not nobles exactly, the Mistrals probably held more power than the king – losing access to the food they produced would cripple Unova.

Claude let himself slip into a familiar daydream, one where he walked off the farm with a shard-bound pokemon of his own, or better yet, one he convinced to join him of its own volition. Some people had accomplished that. A few – in stories anyway.

As the day stretched on and sunset approached, Claude set about calling the pokemon back. In general, they made it easy for him. A few dragged their feet, but most looked forward to resting after a long day. The glances a few of them shot at Claude gave him pause though.

"I really shouldn't get myself so worked up over it," he muttered to himself, sliding a set of wide barn doors shut. Before he'd left, he'd glanced in on the Vaporeon he punished. She still lay in the corner, back turned to him.

There was no avoiding dinner, and he trudged once more towards the barracks. He could guess the meal from way out in the fields: stew, and the same bread that no one ate for lunch, made slightly more palatable by hunger. Inside, a familiar iron pot, almost large enough to fit a person, sat warming in front of the hearth.

Luckily, a long day of work made dinner a quiet affair. No matter that they didn't toil the fields themselves, waking before dawn and spending a day under the blazing sun drained the best of men. Claude ate his bowl of stew in silence, left alone by the others.

A few bid him goodnight to which Claude acknowledged absentmindedly. Vaporeon's screams still drained his appetite. He hated hurting pokemon, especially considering everything they did and how little thanks they received. Claude stared into his bowl, pushing the last bit of carrot back and forth against the slopped walls.

If he risked going easy on her, would the others notice? Probably not, they cared little for the pokemon, but still. He looked up and realized the others had all retired. He sat alone in the long hall, the hearth's fire slowly dwindling to embers. A little more discreetly, he double checked to make sure everyone had left. _This is a terrible idea, _he thought to himself, yet his feet were already in motion.

He scooped another bowlful of the leftover stew with one hand, and grabbed a shuttered lantern in the other before heading out into the night, keeping the light concealed. After years of working, he didn't need more than moonlight to find his way, and he loathed to risk having a light seen moving towards the precious stores of pokemon – and shards.

Moonlight guided him to his destination with no more than a stubbed toe, and he slipped the heavy barn door open. Inside, he couldn't see a thing, but the walls shrouded the lantern, and he opened the shutters a hair. Soft, flickering light pooled around him, and he proceeded towards the Vaporeon's stall.

Rough-cut beams outlined each of the stalls. While not exactly spacious, the exposed rafters gave an open feeling to the building, and each pokemon had enough room to easily move about in their stall. Claude set the lantern and food on the ground and swung the door open the door to Vaporeon's stall.

He whispered into the dim cell. "You awake?"

A pair of eyes, darker than the night outside, reflected the soft flicker of the lantern. A low growl rumbled from the Vaporeon, the frill around her neck rising to frame an innocent face. Despite its purpose, Claude didn't find her very intimidating. Cute maybe, but not threatening. Poor thing. Even in the dim light, he noticed a few dark splotches on the stall floor. Blood.  
"I-I wanted to say sorry. I won't hurt you." He offered the bowl of stew. It made for a poor apology, but he didn't have anything else that would interest a pokemon.

Vaporeon hissed as he slid the bowl closer, and he let it go before backing up, the bowl halfway between them. She watched him like she expected him to pull the whip from thin air, never taking her chin from the ground. Claude sat back, shoulders slumped in what he hoped looked like a humbled posture. Then he waited.

Slowly, after what felt like hours, Vaporeon rose. Her tiny black nose twitched, sniffing the air. In the stillness of the barn, the soft hiss of her tail dragging across the ground grated accusingly in Claude's ears. Her stiff movements, hesitant step – his fault.

He watched the pokemon approach his offering, sniffing experimentally at the bowl as if it might be poisoned. Eventually she tested the contents, a quick taste before eagerly lapping at the heavy broth.

Claude kept his voice low to avoid bothering the sleeping pokemon around them. Sound carried in the spacious barns. "It's not enough, but it's all I got." He watched the injured pokemon eat.

"Please try to behave. You probably don't want to be here, but I can't help that, and the others – well they don't care so much. I try to make them go easy on you, but I'm nobody important." He sighed. The pokemon probably didn't even listen to his blathering, but his conscience wouldn't let him off so easy. The tiny pat-pat of Vaporeon's tongue filled the gap in his monologue.

"I'd help if I could, but we need the pokemon working here. I don't know why you've been so restless lately, but there's nothing you can do, and if you keep it up, well..." He trailed off, staring at his feet, cross-legged in front of him. The bowl clattered against the hard-packed dirt of the stable floor. Vaporeon had finished the bowl and licked at the sides, pushing the dish around.

Watching the voracious pokemon brought a faint smile to his face. "Glad someone enjoyed it."

Vaporeon looked up, glassy eyes considering him, a much wiser look than a pokemon should have. She nudged the bowl before slinking backwards, never taking her eyes off him.

Claude looked down at the bowl. "I really am sorry." He scratched at a scuff on his boot. They sat in silence for a time.

"If you'd like, I can look at your back, might be able to clean it or something," he finally mumbled. Vaporeon gave him a blank stare in response, but she didn't hiss or try to retreat deeper into the stall.

Hesitantly, he got to his knees and shuffled closer, moving slow enough that Vaporeon could follow his intentions. He also definitely didn't want to get bitten like Ren had. Lantern light flickered in her unblinking black eyes.

Claude stopped within arm's reach of the injured pokemon and brought the light closer. Dried blood covered the two inflamed welts, and more dripped down her sides, leaving rust-colored trails across her skin. Holding his breath, he reached out with a firm hand and pressed it to Vaporeon's skin, soft and smooth against his calloused fingers.

A low growl rumbled from the pokemon, but she didn't so much as twitch at his touch – a warning that if he tried anything she didn't like, he might not make it out of the barn. Weakened powers or not, that muscular tail could probably snap a leg in the blink of an eye.

Her skin felt slick and cool to the touch, but burned nearer the wounds. He hadn't put his full force behind the whipping, but even still, it left awful injuries, and he'd only struck her two of the prescribed five times.

"Here, let me clean this for you." Without waiting for a reply, he snatched the bowl and hurried outside the barn. The half-moon's reflection shone on the surface of the water barrel, generally reserved for pokemon to drink from in the morning, and filled the bowl Vaporeon had licked empty. He also found a mostly clean rag hanging inside the barn door, ominously next to the whip.

He moved more quickly, confident that if nothing else, Vaporeon didn't think to try mauling him. Her still form lay placidly on the ground, yet her eyes followed him closely. He set the water down and dipped the rough cloth in.

Her smooth skin absorbed stray droplets like a sponge as he pressed the rag gently against her skin. He scrubbed at the thin lines of dried blood first, cleaning her up as best he could. As for the larger injuries, he didn't know what he could do without breaking them open again. He should have done this earlier. Wishful thinking. Instead he soaked up water with the rag and pressed it against the welts, letting the water slowly absorb into the pokemon's skin. A small sigh of contentment escaped the pokemon's stoic facade.

"All I can do." He patted the Vaporeon's head gently, and smiled to see she had finally closed her eyes.

"Thanks," she mumbled sleepily.

Claude froze. A second later, Vaporeon's eyes snapped open, a look of terror on her face, and her eyes shot up towards him. He could only imagine he wore a similar expression to her bulging eyes and agape mouth.

Claude stumbled to his feet, backing away from the stall, lantern, bowl, reason for being there – forgotten. "You just spoke." He backed up, leaving the stall door open. It stared at him. Gods he whipped a demon. He fed it. Spoke with it. "No. I'm sorry. Please!" He didn't even know if he spoke or imagined the words as a useless, silent prayer.

Vaporeon leapt, injuries forgotten, and she darted between Claude and the exit. Her long tail struck the lantern, sending it clattering along the ground. The flame died.

She stood in darkness, a sliver of moonlight across her back illuminated fresh blood running across her hide, dripping steadily to the barn floor.

Claude could hear it, each drop. His heart pounded in tandem with the deafening crash of blood. He couldn't force his eyes away from the monster. With the moonlight behind it, he only saw the spiked silhouette of its face, back slashed with crimson. Not even a faint reflection glinted off the midnight eyes that he knew hid above the creature's maw.

A soft, trembling voice came from that darkness. "Please, I didn't mean to! You can't tell anyone!"

Claude's eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he got a look at the demon's face. Her wide eyes darted between Claude, her stall and the glimpse of moonlight that offered the only route of escape. She crouched on trembling limbs, half prostrating herself, half ready to dart away. Blood continued to spill down her sides.

Seeing the quaking pokemon so vulnerable helped loosen the grip on Claude's throat, if only slightly. A demon wouldn't show weakness, would it? Pokemon couldn't talk.

Claude forced himself to speak, his voice barely more than a gurgle. "You spoke."

Vaporeon didn't seem to hear. Her eyes continued to dart about as if unable to decide where to flee. Slowly she sunk to the ground, her chin coming to rest on the dusty floor, frill pressed tight against her body in submission.

"Y-You did speak, didn't you?" Claude hadn't realized he'd been backing up until he thumped against the barn wall. He sank down until he sat across from the defeated pokemon. "How?"

"Please," she whispered. "Kill me, or do whatever you wish, but don't tell anyone else of your kind. I beg you."

Words failed Claude. He stared at the desperate pokemon with his mouth open. She spoke better than anyone he worked with, almost like a lord. He watched the pokemon proffer itself before him, chin scraping the ground, eyes pleading. This was going to be a long night.


End file.
